Alan Smith names two players Arsenal should ditch to raise funds for Alexander Isak

01/27/2025 10:25 AM

Alan Smith has named two players Arsenal should ditch in order to raise funds to sign Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak.

Newcastle want a Premier League record offer in excess of £150m for Isak, who is considered to be among the best forwards in all of Europe.

The Gunners have long admired the Sweden international – who is thought to be their No.1 transfer target – but he is deemed to be too expensive.

Former Arsenal striker Smith is desperate to see Isak move to the Emirates and has told his old club to offload two stars to raise the money for him.

Smith feels Arsenal could sell Gabriel Jesus andOleksandr Zinchenko, who both arrived at the club in the summer of 2022 from Manchester City.

Arsenal paid £45m for Brazilian forward Jesus while Ukrainian left-back Zinchenko was recruited in a deal worth £32m.

‘Alexander Isak would [still] probably be the number one target because he’s succeeded in the Premier League,’ Smith told AceOdds.com.

‘There wouldn’t be any settling down period where you’re getting used to the league. He’s at a good age as well – mid 20s – and he showed it in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semis, what a fine player he is.

‘I think you need to bring in somebody who’s technically very good, someone who’s able to fit into that Arsenal way and also of course somebody who’s going to score goals.

‘You look at the goals scored last season by Arsenal. It wasn’t deficient, it was only a few behind Man City, the title winners, without a centre forward.

‘Everybody chipped in and now everybody isn’t chipping in, chances are being missed.

‘I think a new centre forward, more than anything, will lift the place. It would be a morale booster. That would be great but I’m not sure that would happen at the moment.’

Quizzed as to which players Arsenal should offload, Smith added: ‘Some of the fringe players.

‘Gabriel Jesus got injured again after that spell of scoring goals. He’ll know better than me but we probably need to sell in order to free up money to buy and Arteta’s got to decide who he could get out of the door to get more money.

‘Zinchenko, doesn’t get a game these days. The two lads from Man City. When Man City are allowing title rivals to have a couple of players you wonder why they are allowing that. We’ve probably seen the reason over the last two years.’